DUSHANBE, 31.01.2017. /NIAT «Khovar»/. American writer Brad Gooch in his new book, “Rumi’s Secret” writes that the author of “Masnavi Manavi”, («Spiritual poem»), acclaimed today the most widely read poet in America, was born in Vakhsh valley of modern Tajikistan, but not in Balkh. The American newspaper “The New York Times” wrote that last week publishing house “Harper Collins” has published a book by the famous writer Brad Gooch called “Rumi’s Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love”, which consists of 377 pages. Brad Gooch in this book described the life and work of Mawlana Jaloliddini Rumi or Balkhi, known as Mawlavi.

The author writes that Mawlavi is today the most popular poet in America, he was born in 1207, in one of the Tajik villages of Vakhsh valley of modern Tajikistan, but not in Balkh of Afghanistan, as many people think.

“Rumi’s Secret” is a biographical book where the author describes over 3000 km road covered, the childhood of this fine poet in the Vakhsh valley, his family displaced by the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan on the Middle East, the years of training in Damascus and Aleppo, the recognition of his glory in Konya, the city of modern Turkey — the capital of the Seljukids Empire in the past. Brad Gooch, also describing the attitude of Rumi and Shams of Tabrezi, writes that “the secret of this mystical disappearance of the elder was connected with the fact that Shams wanted to teach another lesson to Mawlana, the lesson of separation”.

Brad Gooch writes: “Islam in the concept of Mawlavi was a religion of Love, the Love that is above all religions and beliefs”. He compares the worship of this highest Love in Mawlavi heritage, especially in 6 volumes of “Masnavi Manavi” with fire chang (a stringed percussion instrument), which can be heard today in the Middle East and engulfed Aleppo – the place where he spent his youth and it is considered a sign of distancing Sufi poet of the East and the Islamic world.

American writer expressed surprise that what kind of secret lies at the basis of the work of this great poet, passing 8 centuries it sounds even more attractive and more glamorous, and today in America there is no poet more readable and popular than Rumi. Millions of Americans are turning to the parables of this mystery – an old man, on their birthday and the difficult moments of life. According to Brad Gooch, lovers confess their love by lines of Rumi poems, powerless find tranquility in his lines looking for an answer to hopelessness.

Mawlana Jaloliddini Rumi is the most famous thinker of the Middle Ages. He left a huge legacy in the field of fiqh (jurisprudence) and philosophy. But Mawlavi is better known thanks to his Sufi poetry, especially “Devon Kabir” (“Great divan”) and “Masnavi”. Poems of Mawlavi were so high that even one of the poets has compared his “Masnavi Manavi” with the Koran, the Holy book of Muslims:

“Masnavi Manavi” of Mawlawi
It is a Koran in pahlavists language. (unofficial translation)

Mawlavi died in 1273 and was buried in Konya.

Rumi enjoys great respect in today’s Turkey. Every year his tomb is visited by up to 2 million pilgrims.

Some Tajik scientists are of the view that in the Middle Ages Balkh stretched on a wider area than the modern region of Balkh in Afghanistan and its borders were also spread in the Vakhsh valley of modern Tajikistan. From this point of view, the Tajik scientists also believe that the Sufi poet was born in Vakhsh valley.

We will remind that the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has renamed the former district of Kolkhozobod into the district of Jaloliddini Rumi in 2007, and later Jalolidini Balkhi, as well as in the center of this district erected a monument of Mawlana (pic.).